Apyramid (fromAncient Greekπυραμίς (puramís) 'pyramid')^[1][2] is astructure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly apyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be of anypolygon shape, such astriangular orquadrilateral, and its surface-lines either filled or stepped.

A pyramid has the majority of its mass closer to the ground[3] with less mass towards thepyramidion at theapex. This is due to the gradual decrease in the cross-sectional area along the vertical axis with increasing elevation. This offers a weight distribution that allowed early civilizations to create monumental structures.

Ancient civilizations in many parts of the world pioneered the building of pyramids. The largest pyramid by volume is the MesoamericanGreat Pyramid of Cholula, in the Mexican state ofPuebla. For millennia, thelargest structures on Earth were pyramids—first theRed Pyramid in theDashur Necropolis and then theGreat Pyramid ofKhufu, both inEgypt—the latter is the only extant example of theSeven Wonders of the Ancient World.

TheMesopotamians built the earliest pyramidal structures, calledziggurats. In ancient times, these were brightly painted ingold/bronze. They were constructed of sun-dried mud-brick, and little remains of them. Ziggurats were built by theSumerians,Babylonians,Elamites,Akkadians, andAssyrians. Each ziggurat was part of a temple complex that included other buildings. The ziggurat's precursors were raised platforms that date from theUbaid period^[4] of the fourthmillennium BC.

The earliest ziggurats began near the end of theEarly Dynastic Period.^[5] The original pyramidal structure, the anu ziggurat, dates to around 4000 BC. The White Temple was built on top of it circa 3500 BC.^[6] Built in receding tiers upon a rectangular, oval, or square platform, the ziggurat was a pyramidal structure with a flat top. Sun-bakedbricks made up the core of the ziggurat with facings of fired bricks on the outside. The facings were often glazed in different colors and may have hadastrological significance. Kings sometimes had their names engraved on them. The number of tiers ranged from two to seven. It is assumed that they had shrines at the top, but no archaeological evidence supports this and the only textual evidence is fromHerodotus.^[7] Access to the shrine would have been by a series of ramps on one side of the ziggurat or by a spiral ramp from base to summit.

The most famous African pyramids are in Egypt—huge structures built of bricks or stones, primarily limestone, some of which are among the world's largest constructions. They are shaped in reference to the sun's rays. Most had a smoothed whitelimestone surface. Many of the facing stones have fallen or were removed and used for construction inCairo.^[8] The capstone was usually made of limestone, granite or basalt and some were plated withelectrum.^[9]

Ancient Egyptians built pyramids from 2700 BC until around 1700 BC. The first pyramid was erected during theThird Dynasty by the PharaohDjoser and his architectImhotep. Thisstep pyramid consisted of six stackedmastabas.^[10][11] Early kings such asSnefru built pyramids, with subsequent kings adding to the number until the end of theMiddle Kingdom. The age of the pyramids reached its zenith atGiza in 2575–2150 BC.^[12] The last king tobuild royal pyramids was Ahmose,^[13] with later kings hiding theirtombs in the hills, such as those in theValley of the Kings in Luxor's West Bank.^[14] InMedinat Habu andDeir el-Medina, smaller pyramids were built by individuals. Smaller pyramids with steeper sides were built by theNubians who ruled Egypt in the Late Period.^[15]

TheGreat Pyramid of Giza is the largest in Egypt and one of the largest in the world. At 146.6 metres (481 ft) it was the tallest structure in the world until theLincoln Cathedral was finished in 1311 AD. Its base covers an area of around 53,000 square metres (570,000 sq ft). The Great Pyramid is the only extant one of theSeven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Ancient Egyptian pyramids were, in most cases, placed west of the riverNile because the divine pharaoh's soul was meant to join with the sun during its descent before continuing with the sun in its eternal round.^[9] As of 2008, some 135 pyramids had been discovered in Egypt,^[16][17] most located near Cairo.^[18]

While African pyramids are commonly associated with Egypt, Sudan has 220 extant pyramids, the most in the world.^[19] Nubian pyramids were constructed (roughly 240 of them) at three sites inSudan to serve as tombs for the kings and queens ofNapata andMeroë. The pyramids of Kush, also known asNubian Pyramids, have different characteristics than those of Egypt. The Nubian pyramids had steeper sides than the Egyptian ones. Pyramids were built in Sudan as late as 200 AD.

The Tomb of Askia, inGao,Mali, is believed to be the burial place ofAskia Mohammad I, one of theSonghai Empire's most prolificemperors. It was built at the end of the fifteenth century and is designated as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.

UNESCO describes the tomb as an example of the monumental mud-building traditions of the West AfricanSahel. The complex includes the pyramidal tomb, twomosques, acemetery and an assembly ground. At 17 metres (56 ft) in height it is the largest pre-colonialarchitectural monument in Gao. It is a notable example of theSudano-Sahelian architectural style that later spread throughout the region.

One of the unique structures ofIgbo culture was the Nsude pyramids, in the Nigerian town of Nsude, northernIgboland. Ten pyramidal structures were built of clay/mud. The first base section was 60 ft (18 m) in circumference and 3 ft (0.9 m) in height. The next stack was 45 ft (14 m) in circumference. Circular stacks continued to the top. The structures were temples for the godAla, who was believed to reside there. A stick was placed at the top to represent the god's residence. The structures were laid in groups of five parallel to each other. Because it was built of clay/mud like the Deffufa of Nubia, over time periodic reconstruction has been required.^[20]

Pausanias (2nd century AD) mentions two buildings resembling pyramids, one, 19 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of a still standing structure at Hellenikon,^[21] a common tomb for soldiers who died in a legendary struggle for the throne ofArgos and another that he was told was the tomb of Argives killed in a battle around 669/8 BC. Neither survives and no evidence indicates that they resembled Egyptian pyramids.

At least two surviving pyramid-like structures are available to study, one atHellenikon and the other at Ligourio/Ligurio, a village near the ancient theatreEpidaurus. These buildings have inwardly sloping walls, but bear no other resemblance to Egyptian pyramids. They had large central rooms (unlike Egyptian pyramids) and the Hellenikon structure is rectangular rather than square, 12.5 by 14 metres (41 by 46 ft) which means that the sides could not have met at a point.^[22] The stone used to build these structures was limestone quarried locally and was cut to fit, not into freestanding blocks like the Great Pyramid of Giza.^[23]

These structures were dated from pot shards excavated from the floor and grounds. The latest estimates are around the 5th and 4th centuries. Normally this technique is used for datingpottery, but researchers used it to try to date stone flakes from the structure walls. This launched debate about whether or not these structures are actually older thanEgypt, part of theBlack Athena controversy.^[24]

Lefkowitz criticised this research, suggesting that some of the research was done not to determine the reliability of the dating method, as was suggested, but to back up a claim and to make points about pyramids and Greek civilization. She claimed that not only were the results imprecise, but that other structures mentioned in the research are not in fact pyramids, e.g. a tomb alleged to be the tomb ofAmphion and Zethus nearThebes, a structure at Stylidha (Thessaly) which is a long wall, etc. She pushed the possibility that the stones that were dated might have been recycled from earlier constructions. She claimed that earlier research from the 1930s, confirmed in the 1980s by Fracchia, was ignored.^[25]

Liritzis responded that Lefkowitz failed to understand and misinterpreted the methodology.^[26]

ThePyramids of Güímar refer to six rectangular pyramid-shaped, terraced structures, built fromlava withoutmortar. They are located in the district of Chacona, part of the town ofGüímar on the island ofTenerife in theCanary Islands. The structures were dated to the 19th century and their function explained as a byproduct of contemporaryagricultural techniques.

AutochthonousGuanche traditions as well as surviving images indicate that similar structures (also known as, "Morras", "Majanos", "Molleros", or "Paredones") were built in many locations on the island.^{[citation needed]} However, over time they were dismantled and used as building material.Güímar hostred nine pyramids, only six of which survive.

The 27-metre-highPyramid of Cestius was built by the end of the 1st century BC and survives close to thePorta San Paolo. Another, namedMeta Romuli, stood in theAger Vaticanus (today'sBorgo), but was destroyed at the end of the 15th century.^[27]

Pyramids were occasionally used inChristian architecture during thefeudal era, e.g. as the tower ofOviedo's GothicCathedral of San Salvador.

Andean cultures used pyramids in various architectural structures such as the ones inCaral,Túcume andChavín de Huantar, constructed around the same time as early Egyptian pyramids.

SeveralMesoamerican cultures built pyramid-shaped structures.Mesoamerican pyramids were usually stepped, with temples on top, more similar to the Mesopotamian ziggurat than the Egyptian pyramid.

The largest by volume is theGreat Pyramid of Cholula, in the Mexican state ofPuebla. Constructed from the 3rd century BC to the 9th century AD, this pyramid is the world's largest monument, and is still not fully excavated. The third largest pyramid in the world, thePyramid of the Sun, atTeotihuacan, is also located inMexico. An unusual pyramid with a circular plan survives at the site ofCuicuilco, now insideMexico City and mostly covered with lava from an eruption of theXitle Volcano in the 1st century BC. Several circular stepped pyramids calledGuachimontones survive in Teuchitlán,Jalisco.

Pyramids in Mexico were often used forhuman sacrifice.Harner stated that for the dedication of theGreat Pyramid of Tenochtitlan in 1487, "one source states 20,000, another 72,344, and several give 80,400" as the number of humans sacrificed.^[28]

Many pre-ColumbianNative American societies of ancient North America built large pyramidalearth structures known asplatform mounds. Among the largest and best-known of these structures isMonks Mound at the site ofCahokia in what becameIllinois, completed around 1100 AD. It has a base larger than that of the Great Pyramid. Many mounds underwent repeated episodes of expansion. They are believed to have played a central role in the mound-building peoples' religious life. Documented uses include semi-publicchief's house platforms, publictemple platforms,mortuary platforms,charnel house platforms,earth lodge/town house platforms, residence platforms, square ground and rotunda platforms, and dance platforms.^[29][30][31] Cultures that built substructure mounds include theTroyville culture,Coles Creek culture,Plaquemine culture andMississippian cultures.

Many squareflat-topped mound tombs inChina. The first emperorQin Shi Huang (c. 221 BC, who unified the seven pre-imperial kingdoms) was buried under a large mound outside modern-dayXi'an. In the following centuries about a dozen moreHan dynasty royal persons were also buried underflat-topped pyramidal earthworks.^{[citation needed]}

Numerous giant,granite, temple pyramids were built inSouth India during theChola Empire, many of which remain in use. Examples includeBrihadisvara Temple atThanjavur,Brihadisvara Temple atGangaikonda Cholapuram, and theAiravatesvara Temple atDarasuram. However, the largest temple (area) is theRanganathaswamy Temple inSrirangam, Tamil Nadu. The Thanjavur temple was built by Raja Raja Chola in the 11th century. TheBrihadisvara Temple was declared aWorld Heritage Site byUNESCO in 1987; the Temple of Gangaikondacholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram were added in 2004.^[32]

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  The granitegopuram (tower) ofBrihadeeswarar Temple, 1010 AD.
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  The pyramidal structure above the sanctum atBrihadisvara Temple.
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  Pyramid-structure insideAiravatesvara Temple.
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  Ranganathaswamy Temple gopurams at Srirangam dedicated toRanganatha, a reclining form of theHindu deity MahaVishnu.

Austronesianmegalithic culture inIndonesia featured earth and stonestep pyramid structures calledpunden berundak. These were discovered in Pangguyangan near Cisolok^[33] and in Cipari near Kuningan.^[34] The stone pyramids were based on beliefs that mountains and high places were the abode for the spirit of theancestors.^[35]

The step pyramid is the basic design of the 8th centuryBorobudur Buddhist monument inCentral Java.^[36] However later Java temples were influenced by IndianHindu architecture, as exemplified by the spires ofPrambanan temple. In the 15th century, during lateMajapahit period, Java saw the revival of indigenous Austronesian elements as displayed bySukuh temple that somewhat resemble Mesoamerican pyramids, and also stepped pyramids of Mount Penanggungan.^[37]

In east Asia, Buddhist stupas were usually represented as tallpagodas. However, some pyramidal stupas survive. One theory is that these pyramids were inspired by theBorobudur monument throughSumatran and Javanese monks.^[38] A similar Buddhist monument survives inVrang,Tajikistan.^[39][40] At least nine Buddhist step pyramids survive, 4 from formerGyeongsang Province of Korea, 3 from Japan, 1 from Indonesia (Borobudur) and 1 fromTajikistan.^[38][40]

Several pyramids were erected throughout the Pacific islands, such asPuʻukoholā Heiau inHawaii, thePulemelei Mound inSamoa, andNan Madol inPohnpei.^{[citation needed]}

• Two pyramid-shaped tombs were erected inMaudlin's Cemetery, Ireland, c. 1840, belonging to theDe Burgh family.

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  TheLouvre Pyramid in Paris, France, in the court of theLouvre Museum, is a 20.6 metre (about 70 foot) glass structure that acts as a museum entrance. It was designed by American architectI. M. Pei and completed in 1989. ThePyramide Inversée (Inverted Pyramid) is displayed in the underground Louvre shopping mall.
• TheTama-Re village was an Egyptian-themed set of buildings and monuments built nearEatonton, Georgia byNuwaubians in 1993 that was mostly demolished after it was sold in 2005.
• TheLuxor Hotel inLas Vegas, United States, is a 30-story pyramid.
• The 32-storyMemphis Pyramid (Memphis was named after theEgyptian capital whose namewas derived from the name of one of its pyramids). Built in 1991, it was the home court for theUniversity of Memphis men'sbasketball program, and theNational Basketball Association'sMemphis Grizzlies until 2004. It was not regularly used as a sports or entertainment venue after 2007, and in 2015 was re-purposed as aBass Pro Shops megastore.
• TheWalter Pyramid, home of the basketball andvolleyball teams of theCalifornia State University, Long Beach, campus inCalifornia, United States, is an 18-story-tall blue true pyramid.

• The 48-storyTransamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, California, designed byWilliam Pereira, is a city symbol.
• The 105-storyRyugyong Hotel is inPyongyang, North Korea.
• A former museum/monument inTirana, Albania is commonly known as the "Pyramid of Tirana". It differs from typical pyramids in having a radial rather than square or rectangular shape, and gently sloped sides that make it short in comparison to the size of its base.
• TheSlovak Radio Building inBratislava,Slovakia is an inverted pyramid.
• ThePalace of Peace and Reconciliation is inAstana,Kazakhstan.
• The three pyramids ofMoody Gardens are inGalveston,Texas.
• The Co-Op Bank Pyramid orStockport Pyramid inStockport, England is a large pyramid-shapedoffice block. (The surrounding part of the valley of the upperMersey has sometimes been called the "Kings Valley" after the Egypt'sValley of the Kings.)
• TheAmes Monument in southeasternWyoming honors the brothers who financed theUnion Pacific Railroad.
• TheTrylon, a triangular pyramid was erected for the1939 World's Fair inFlushing, Queens and demolished after the Fair closed.
• TheBallandean Pyramid, at Ballandean in ruralQueensland is a 15-metrefolly pyramid made from blocks of local granite.
• TheKarlsruhe Pyramid is a pyramid made of red sandstone, located in the centre of the market square ofKarlsruhe, Germany. It was erected in 1823–1825 over the vault of the city's founder, Margrave Charles III William (1679–1738).
• Muttart Conservatory greenhouses are inEdmonton,Alberta.

• Sunway Pyramid shopping mall is inSelangor,Malaysia.
• Hanoi Museum has an overall design of a reversed pyramid.
• TheHa! Ha! Pyramid by artistJean-Jules Soucy [fr] inLa Baie, Quebec is made out of 3,000 give way signs.^[41]
• ThePyramid [ru] culture-entertainment complex andMonument of the Kazan siege [ru] is inKazan, Russia.
• TheTime pyramid inWemding, Germany is a pyramid begun in 1993 and scheduled for completion in the year 3183.^[42]
• Triangle is a proposed skyscraper in Paris.
• TheShimizu Mega-City Pyramid is a proposed project for construction of a massive pyramid overTokyo Bay in Japan.
• TheDonkin Memorial was erected on aXhosa reserve in 1820 by Cape Governor SirRufane Shaw Donkin in memory of his late wife Elizabeth, inPort Elizabeth, South Africa. The pyramid is used in many different coats-of-arms associated with Port Elizabeth.

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  Stockport Pyramid inStockport, United Kingdom
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  Karlsruhe Pyramid, Germany
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  Hanoi Museum inVietnam features an inverted pyramid shape.
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  Slovak Radio Building,Bratislava,Slovakia.
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  "Pyramid" culture-entertainment complex inKazan, Russia.
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  Luxor Hotel inLas Vegas, Nevada
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  Pyramid Arena inMemphis, Tennessee
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  Walter Pyramid inLong Beach, California

With theEgyptian Revival movement in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, pyramids became more common in funerary architecture. The tomb ofQuintino Sella, outside the monumental cemetery ofOropa, is pyramid-shaped.^[43] This style was popular withtycoons in the US. TheSchoenhofen Pyramid Mausoleum (1889) inChicago andHunt's Tomb (1930) inPhoenix, Arizona are notable examples. Some people build pyramid tombs for themselves.Nicolas Cage bought a pyramid tomb for himself in a famedNew Orleans graveyard.^[44]

• List of largest monoliths
• Lists of pyramids
• List of pyramid mausoleums in North America
• Mound
• Pyramid power
• Stupa
• Triadic pyramid
• Tumulus (burial mound)

•   Media related toPyramids at Wikimedia Commons
•  Pyramids travel guide from Wikivoyage